Consultancy Future Purchasing completed late last year the largest category management survey of its kind ever attempted (as far as we know). With more than 300 respondents from a range of sectors and countries, the results provide much fascinating material to help understand just what differentiates the best exponents of “CatMan” from the pack.

One of the most exciting aspects of the survey and the report that has now been produced is the statistical rigor that has been applied to the findings by Professor Marc Day of Henley Business School, who has a strong background in procurement research as well as in statistical analysis. By linking the responses to questions about the various aspects of CatMan with the results and outcomes that the respondents provided, we can see some statistically valid linkages that for the first time suggest exactly what the most important factors are in terms of achieving successful results from programs.

Indeed, just a handful of factors define clearly what makes CatMan successful — or not. There is also a clear correlation between good CatMan delivery and business results, which is powerful argument if you are making a business case for investment in CatMan.

You can now request a copy of the full Future Purchasing report here. It really does contain a wealth of useful information and helpful guidance in terms of implementing and running good CatMan programs. And if you have any interest in the topic, as a category manager or a procurement leader looking to improve performance, or indeed as a less mature organization in the field, we are confident you will get something useful out of our upcoming webinar next Tuesday, March 14, at 11 a.m. EST.

During the event, we’ll run through the key findings and the pointers to CatMan success — and just as a taster, how to involve and align with stakeholders will be one of the key topics here. It should be an illuminating 45 minutes.